Reflections
by Drucilla Black
Summary: Elle Robinson reflects on recent events, and on her strange relationship with Izzy Hoyland


We have a strange relationship, Izzy and myself. I certainly don't love her…Why would I? She's a manipulative, acid-tongued witch who loves nothing better than trying to get between my attempts at reconciling my relationship with my father and holding one over me whenever she has the opportunity **(I still haven't forgiven her for taking Ned away from me. I've tried talking to Cam about it, and he believes that it was a case of doing the wrong thing for the right reasons because she did it out of love for Dad)**.

Sometimes I think she could be downright evil, which was why she and Dad went so well together. All Robinsons have a streak of evil in them. Dad has one, we all know that – but he's still our father and he loves us, so I don't care –, Rob has it obviously, more so even than Dad because he doesn't care who he hurts or how far it goes. I have it of course, and like Dad, I know how to conceal it behind an image of near-perfection **(I only ever felt a pang of remorse for drugging Izzy's food, but I have to admit she was very clever in getting me back)**. Even Cam, the mildest of us all, has that Robinson streak in him. But it would take a lot for him to reveal it.

But anyway, back to Izzy. I don't love her, but despite what she may think, I don't hate her either. You can't hate someone when they've saved your life twice, even if you try. I always thought that she despised me until the night the plane we were travelling on exploded…But when she saw me in the water, she came after me. She actually came after me, and she pulled me onto a large piece of driftwood and saved me from drowning. She didn't have to do any of those things, but she chose to. Then she stayed with me until we were rescued. We barely spoke the whole time out there **(Unless you count screaming for help every couple of minutes as conversation)**, but I found her presence oddly comforting.

Then there was the whole "Rob/Cam fiasco", when Robert turned up after taking Cam's identity with a plan to take away everyone important to Dad. Dylan went down first. I should've known something wasn't right on the day – Dylan wasn't the kind of guy to do half-jobs and the job meant too much for him to risk it – but nearly being crushed is very distracting. Then Izzy was next. I still don't understand why nobody thought something was amiss. I know how much Izzy loves Charlie, and it's a well-known fact that she practically begged to be allowed to babysit him. Forgetting to turn off the gas is just something she wouldn't have done, and she swore blind that she had turned it off beforehand. She may be nasty at times, but we all know that she would never harm her own nephew. Robert finished her off not long after with a flirtatious message on his phone that apparently came from her. Dad threw her out of the house for it.

Now that I look back, I can't believe I didn't see the pattern developing. Dylan, Izzy, who else would be next? I'm not a stupid girl, but if I'd paid more attention, maybe I would've realised it all seemed suspicious. Maybe I would've noticed how everything had started going wrong after Robert turned up…And that I was next on his list. He nearly succeeded too. But again, Izzy of all people stepped in and saved me. I was driving to a winery when Dad called and seemed very insistent on me being driven by a chauffer instead. We started to argue, then I guess she must have snatched the phone from him because the next thing I heard was Izzy screaming

"Elle, get OUT of the car NOW! RUN!" The last time I'd heard here screaming like that was when she was coming after me in the aftermath of the plane explosion, so I obeyed her.

And just in time too. I'd only run a couple of metres when I heard an explosion, and when I turned back the car had blown up in a mixture of flames and twisted metal. All I could do was stand there, shaking, barely believing that what I'd seen had really happened. Ten more seconds and I would have been trapped in that heap of flames and metal. Another part of Robert's plan completed. But I got out alive, and I owe that to Izzy.

We thought it would all get better afterwards, but things only seemed to get worse. Innocent Cam ended up in prison, framed very neatly by Robert, who was free to wander Erinsborough because nobody believed Cam's confusing story. Mum turned up and instantly got off on the wrong foot with Izzy. Then they somehow tried to patch things up, and honestly, Izzy did make quite an effort. She even offered a bedroom in the house to Mum so she wouldn't have to get a hotel. Then somewhere at some point, the line was crossed and something started happening between Dad and Mum. I don't know who started it, but my guess is Dad. A part of me was secretly glad because it was filling my fantasy of them reuniting. The "fake wedding" as Mum called it only raised my hopes even higher, and I was enjoying rubbing it in Izzy's face too. I guess I was trying to take her down a few pegs, but now that I think about it, I can't imagine how she must have felt.

Dad was cruel to both of them, Mum and Izzy. I can't stay mad at him though…He's been through hell because of Robert, and all he was trying to do was build a relationship with him. I would never have survived being in that mineshaft, let alone be found. But Dad survived and came out ready for revenge. And I could see his point too…Yes he was neglectful when we were younger, but so what? Cam and I turned out fine, and he's our father. We love him and we understand that he's trying to make up for those years now. Rob just has a huge chip on his shoulder that he wouldn't do anything about. Besides, he was Mum's favourite and he knew it, so as far as I'm concerned, he was just a self-pitying brat with too much time on his hands. And he's not my brother anymore. I have Cam, and that's all I need.

Still, Mum and Izzy didn't deserve anything that he put them through. They both love **(or loved)** him, it was plainly obvious. They just wanted to take care of him, show how much they loved him…just not together. Yet for some reason, Dad had just stopped caring about both of them. Mum didn't do anything wrong, neither did Izzy. He'd just tired of Mum, and for some reason that I'll never understand, he just "fell out of love" with Izzy.

I never really thought Izzy would leave Dad…but she did. I still have that image stamped into my mind of her walking to the Hoyland house with her luggage, tears streaming down her face as her brother gently guided her away from our house. The tears are what stand out the most, and that look of pure heartbreak on her face. Izzy never cried in public unless she was really sad or upset about something. A pang went through me when I saw those tears. She wasn't my best friend or anything, but she didn't deserve such unhappiness. We only spoke briefly, but her eyes said everything that she would never say out loud to me. _He needs to be loved. You and Cam need to love him as much as possible because you're the only ones he won't push away._

The house seems so different without her now. Izzy had a presence all of her own that was unlike anything else. Dad has a new conquest now: Lyn Scully, Suburban Cabbage. That's what Izzy called her, and I have to admit its fitting. Personally, I can't stand the woman **(One of the few things we could agree on)**, but considering his current condition, hopefully Lyn will be gone soon. I'll just have to make her feel as unwelcome as possible until then.

I know Izzy will be alright. She's strong, and she'll pull through like she has before. And maybe I'll even ask her to do some retail therapy with me once things aren't so uncomfortable between us all. We'll go to a nice café afterwards and order the nicest things on the menu and one or both of us will act like a diva if anything isn't done to our standards. I might even end up telling her about my ruse to keep Skye away from Dylan, I know she'd praise me for it or at the very least; it'd bring that trademark smirk back to her face. She might even give me tips on how to make it look more genuine **(After all, it's no secret that she despises Skye and I have to admit I think I'm starting to understand why too)**.

So, do I love her? Absolutely not. Do I hate her? I couldn't if I tried. Are we friends? Not really. But whatever our relationship is, it's definitely an interesting one. Probably because she and I are so similar. The same evil streak, the same **(excellent)** fashion sense, the same manipulative mind. Sometimes I feel like I'm looking at my future self when I see her. Which really isn't a bad thing when I think about it...


End file.
